clear coating an aluminum intake

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ecurb

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getting ready to install my aluminum intake and was wondering if anybody tried spraying clear coat on it. how did it came out and more important what does it look like today. i've read it turns the aluminum yellow? as always i appreciate all the great info. thanks
 
I tried clear engine enamel and yes it turned yellow and gross. I ended up blasting the intake again to get rid of the yellow and painting with high temp BBQ paint which worked out great. I used aluminum BBQ paint and I am VERY pleased with how it turned out. JMO
 
Hey ecurb, contact our resident powdercoating artist. You won't be disappointed!
See her outstanding work on her website:
http://phoenixspecialtycoatings.com/

I've shipped parts to Leanna from SoCal so she can work her magic and it was well worth it.
 
Yup, speaking from experience clear on an intake turns yellowish and over time gets yellower, with brown and black spots and really looks ugly in not too much time. Regular engine enamel in colors holds up fairly well but, as has been mentioned, powder coating is the method that looks good and lasts.
 
Yes, they make a clear powder coating. Looks great too, but I never used it on an intake though. It can take temperatures up to 400 degrees, but over that it will probably yellow too.
 
68gtxman said:
Yes, they make a clear powder coating. Looks great too, but I never used it on an intake though. It can take temperatures up to 400 degrees, but over that it will probably yellow too.
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As mentioned before, contact Leanna at Phoenix Specialty Coating. I've talked to her before about a clear powder coat on an aluminum intake and she said the same thing about yellowing.
But she has silver powders that look like blasted bare aluminum and they won't yellow over time since they're colored powders rather than clear. Take a look at her 'Alien Silver' for a little more underhood impact.
 
I agree about sending it to Leanna, however, I can tell you how to do it so that it will NOT turn yellow if you cannot afford powder coating. Bead blast the intake. Get some VHT FLAME PROOF 2000* primer, VHT FLAME PROOF 2000* flat aluminum paint and VHT FLAME PROOF 2000* clear. If you skimp on the paint, it will NOT work. Once the intake is blasted, prime it good. Let it dry completely. Paint it with aluminum and let that dry good then with the clear. I have one in the shop I did over a year ago and it looks like new.
 
I painted my Edelbrock alum intake w/ clear Rustoleum spray engine paint. No yellowing in 3 years, but I have barely driven the car. It doesn't look fantastic mainly because the used intake had rust stains I couldn't quite get out. I didn't have a sand-blaster then, so wire-brush and sandpaper. You can barely see it in my avitar.
 
Yep,ditto on the yellow finish. It looks okay for a little while, but if you use the clear coat only on top of bare aluminium,it looks tacky pretty quickly. I know I did it once!
 
68gtxman said:
Yes, they make a clear powder coating. Looks great too, but I never used it on an intake though. It can take temperatures up to 400 degrees, but over that it will probably yellow too.
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Where'd you hear that clear powder coating will only withstand up to 400 degrees? And what kind of tune up do you have that your intake gets even hotter???

:wack:

Commercial spray / rattle can clears yellow over time. Clear powder coating will only yellow if it's applied incorrectly, or cured for too long or at too high of a temperature. It won't happen over time either -- it will happen immediately.

A brand new intake can be powder coated in clear and will last a very long time without any adverse effects. But I can't really in good conscience recommend only clearing a used intake -- unless it's completely outgassed, bead blasted and all the old fuel and impurities trapped in the metal are removed, it will have an uneven, splotchy looking finish ... and no one wants to preserve THAT.

I don't offer "advice" to people who are looking to put a turbo or an EFI setup on their Slant 6. If you really don't know the answer to a forum question just keep the opinions as your own. Bad information on ANY subject does no one any good and merely fosters the rumor mill.
 
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